After finally crossing the Rubicon to earn her first ever victory against Flavia Pennetta, Simona Halep is through to the quarter-final round of the Miami Open. The Romanian will next come up against Sloane Stephens, whom she is tied with 2-2 in the head-to-head series.

The tournament’s third seed managed to overcome a turbulent match against her Italian adversary to salvage the second set and close out the match 6-3, 7-5. It was an inspired comeback to bring about a straightforward end to the encounter. She is now tied with Karolina Pliskova for the most wins on the tour this season (23).

“It was a very tough match. She’s a great player,” Halep said. “In the second set I was down 5-2, and I was playing badly, so I knew I just had to cool down and start playing more aggressively and hit the ball deeper. I did that when I went back on court. I tried everything and finally I was able to win.”

Awaiting her in the quarter-final is Sloane Stephens, who defeated Belinda Bencic in a battle between two of the tour’s rising stars. She also had to rally from a break down in the second set to close out the match 6-4, 7-6(5).

“I remember one match against her at the US Open, when she beat me in the fourth round,” Halep said. “It was a tough match there. I was very disappointed when I lost that match. She hits very strong, and it’s difficult for me to play her. But there I was more behind the court; now I’m more aggressive.

This marks the fifth time that these two competitors will cross paths on the WTA tour, with the series tied at 2-2. While Stephens had a stranglehold over the series for a while, Halep outdid her in their most recent encounter at last year’s French Open. The Romanian will undoubtedly be the favourite for this encounter, and it will be interesting to see if she will live up to her new mantle.

Prediction: Simona Halep in Three Sets